Sometimes in life there is one moment that defines you. On Sunday in Chicago, I believe Vikings’ Head Coach Leslie Frazier had one of those moments. With a little over three minutes left, on the road, with a 3-point lead, on the Bears 3-yard line, Frazier lost his job. With the opportunity to put the game away, the coach turned Childress and went ultra-conservative, running the ball up the gut with almost no chance of success. Minnesota settled for a field goal and a 6-point lead. Jay Cutler drove the Bears down the field, to nobodies surprise, and won the game 31-30.

By all accounts Leslie Frazier is a great man. That does not automatically make him a great coach. He is probably great when it comes to the day-to-day operations of an NFL Head Coach. but on Sunday he just doesn’t get it. In the situation the Vikings were in, a field goal doesn’t finish the game. In fact, it leaves the door open for the opposition, which in this case they came barging through. This game brings all kind of questions to mind. Did Minnesota deserve to win this game? No. Should they have won this game? Yes. Why didn’t they win this game? That is where the discussion begins. It starts with not trusting your quarterback. If you trust your QB, you put the ball in his hands with the opportunity to put the game away. If you don’t, then the problems just multiply from there, and you do things like settling for a field goal that doesn’t seal the victory.

Leslie Frazier, Christian Ponder, and Rick Spielman are all in the same boat. Staying with clichés, that ship is sinking. The Vikings should cut-bait with all three. The team has some great young talent, and of course Adrian Peterson. Owner Zygi Wilf wants to win and has secured financing for a new stadium. Mr. Wilf should replace the three most important people in his organization, the GM, Head Coach, and QB. Minnesota won’t be great without them, but the Vikings will never be great with them.